Car-door mechanism.



PATENTBD NOV. 28,'19'0-5.

0. A. LINDSTRM'. .GAR nooR MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19, 1904,

INVENTOR- a/u., 4a;

wrm EssEs.

No. 805,920. PATENTED Nov. 2a, 1905. G. A. LINDSTRM.

CAR DOOR MBGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 1Q. 1904.

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CHARLES A. LINDSTRM, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PRESSED STEEL CAR COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION OF lNEW JERSEY.

CAR-Doon NIEQHANISM.v

. Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2s, 1905.

Application led October 19, 1904. Serial No. 229,119.

To all whom it may concern.' y

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. LINDSTRM, i

car-door mechanism.' Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the car. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection on a larger scale, the sectional plane -being on the line III III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing in side elevation the arm member orsegment which forms part of the car-door. mechanism. Fig. 5 is a section on the line V V of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a section illustrating a modilication of the device shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig.- 7 Ais a detail view of 'the clevis and equalizer, and Fig. 8 is a modication thereof.

My invention is designed to provide an improved car-door mechanism for operating the doors of railway-cars. p I t permits the ready opening and closing of the doors, and when the doors are completely closed the mechanism is automatically locked-that is tol say, it is placed in Vsuch position that the weight of the load which rests onthe doors will. not tend to open the doors should the hand -actuating mechanism become disengaged from its locking device.

The apparatus is extremely simple and is wel] adapted to withstand the rough usage and shocks to which the parts of a car are'subjected when in use. The working parts are also entirely separated from the load of the car andv cannot be deranged thereby.

In the drawings, 2 represents the hopper of a car.

3 3 are the discharge-chutes ofthe hopper,

` and 4 4 are the doors, which are pivoted at prevent accidental opening center sills 6 6 I place the door-operating mechanism. This consists 'of a quadrant 7, attached to or made integral with a sprocket-wheel 8. The arm 7 is preferably made in segmental 'form' and in the shape of a quadrant, and in the preferred construction,(shown in Figs. 4. and 5) the casting, of which the sprocket and segment form part, has a branch 9,trunnions 10 10 in line with each other being applied to the vsprocket and said branch and the whole forming a U-shaped or open casting within the cavity 11, of which the operating-arms described below will freely pass. The trunnions 10 10 are'pivoted in opposite brackets 12, which are fixed to the center sills. Within the scope of my invention the branch 9 and its trunnion 10 may be dispensed with, in which case, as

shown in Fig. 6, the device would be pivotally supported solely by the trunnion 10 of the sprocket-wheel 8 at one side only of the space between the center sills. This construction, like that of Figs. 4 and 5, affords a clear space 11 for the motion of thedoor-operating arms or links.

The sprocket wheel 8 is rotated by a sprocket-chain 13 from a sprocket-wheel 14 and shaft`15, journaled to a suitable part of -vthe car-body and provided with a lockingratchet 16 and pawl 17. Within the' scope of my invention,as broadly claimed, this sprocket may be substituted by a worm-shaft, in which case the wheel 8 would be a worm-wheel; but the construction shown in the drawings is much preferable. The doors or the beams 5 5, which connect the doors of the adjacent pairs, are

`provided with arms 18, which are directly connected at their upper ends by an equalizing-bar 19, attached in turn by a chain 2() to the arm or segment 7, the point of attachment being shown at 21 and the extremity of the segment being indicated at 22. Chains may be used -in placeof the arms 18; but the arms are preferable, and I intend to make specific claim thereto. Between the equalizing-bar 19 and chain 20 is a clevis 23, connected to the equalizing-bar by .a pin 24. This pin extends through both sides of the clevis, and it forms trunnions which rest upon projections or lugs 7 on the segment 7. The purpose of this is to take the load od the chain when the doors are closed, and thusv to of the doors in case the chainshould break. I

In Fig. 1 the doors are shown in closed poaxis of the operating member when the doors sition in full lines. In this position the point are operated; substantially as described. of bearing 22 of the chain 2O on the arm 7 at 3. Car-door-operating mechanism compris- 22 is past the vertical line X X, which passes ing a circular arm or segment, an equalizingthrough the axis 10 10 of the segment, so that bar, means for raising the equalizing-bar to the down pressure of the load on the doors a locking position on said arm and a plurality will not tend to rotate the segment in the of links connecting the equalizing-bar to the opening direction, which is indicated by the doors; substantially as described. arrow, and therefore will not tend to open 4. Car-door-operating mechanism compristhe doors, and as the arms 18 rest against the ing a rotatable operating member, a flexible inner face of the segment 7 the mechanism connection, an equalizing-bar and links conca-nnot revolve farther in the opposite direcnecting the equalizing-bar and the doors, said tion of the arrow. The doors are thus s econnection being adapted to lift the equalizel curely and automatically locked in position. to a locking position on the operating mem- Toopen them, the pawl 17 is released and the ber; substantially as described. shaft 15 is turned so as to rotate the sprocket- 5. Car-door-operating mechanism compriswheel 8 and segment 7 in the direction ofthe ing a rotatable operating member, a flexible 70 arrow. When the point of bearing of the connection, an equalizing-bar and links conchain 20 on the arm 7 passes the vertical cennecting the equalizing-bar and the doors, said tral line X X, the doors will be unlocked and connection being adapted to lift and support will descend freely by gravity into the open the equalizer in a locking position on the opposition. (Indicated by dotted linesin Fig. 1.) erating member; substantially as described. To close the doors, the shaft 15 is rotated in 6. Car-door-operating mechanism compristhe reverse direction, thus turning the ing an operating member, links and equalizsprocket-wheel 8 and segment 7 so as to wind ing connecting means for raising the adjacent up the chain 2O and to elevate the equalizingends of said links to a point above the axis of bar 19 and arms 18 with the doors, which are the operating member, said links diverging 8O nallybroughtto the closed position. (Shown from said point to the doors, when said doors by full lines.) are in closed position; substantially as dc- 4 The use of the equalizing-bar insures perscribed. feet closing of both doors, each of which in 7. Car-door mechanism comprisingin comthis respect will act through the equalizingbination with the doors, rotatable arm, links bar in a manner independent of the other. and equalizer, means on said arm which di- In the lifting motion of the doors one of the rectly support the equalizer when the doors links 18, as shown in Fig. 2, passes freely are closed; substantially as described. beyond the central axis 10 of the arm 7. This 8. Car-door mechanism comprising in comis permitted in the construction shown in Fig. bination with the doors, lifting-chain and seg- 5 by the intermediate space 11 and in the ment, a clevis, and means on the segment construction shown in Fig. 6 by the correwhich take the weight off the chain when the sponding space 11', which permit free pasdoors are closed; substantially as described. sage of the connections unrestrained by the 9. Car-door mechanism comprising in comsprocket-wheel or the segment-arm. bination with the doors and lifting-bars, an

I claimf equalizer, chain, clevis and segment, and a 1. In car-door-operating mechanism, a ropin connecting the equalizer and the clevis tatable operating member, links connected to and adapted to engage projections on the segthe doors, an equalizing-bar for said links and ment; substantially as described. means adapted to raise the equalizing-bar to In testimony whereof I have hereunto set IOO a locking plosition on tlgie; operating member, my hand October 18, 1904. substantial y as descri e y .u

2. Car-door-operating mechanism compris- (JHARLES A' LINDblROM' ing a rotatable operating member, a plurality Witnesses: of links, and an equalizing-bar for said links, THOMAS WV. BAKEWELL, one of said links being adapted to pass the H. M. CoRWIN. 

